Special Joint Statement on Celebration of the Holy Week of Pascha and the Glorious Feast of the Resurrection for the Year 2020

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed" Isaiah 53:5

Dear beloved congregations of the churches of the Archdiocese of North America in New Jersey and the Diocese of New York & New England,

Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ to each and every one of you. We continue to pray for your safety and well-being and for the steadfastness of your faith during this difficult time.

In our continuing efforts to assess the unfolding circumstances of these unprecedented times, and after more than 30 collective hours, including joint clergy deliberations and consultations with medical and legal professionals, His Grace Bishop David, in unison with all the Fathers of the Archdiocese and Diocese of New York and New England, hereby states the following.

Being mindful that:

− The number of those infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) is increasing day by day according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other official sources;

− The next few weeks are the most critical, as the number of those contracting infections is expected to reach peak levels according to medical experts;

− The virus is mostly transmitted by person to person contact, especially when in crowded areas and in close proximity to each other. As your spiritual fathers, our spiritual and moral responsibilities dictate that we must exercise caution for your well-being, and to avoid the further transmission of this virus;

− Federal guidelines, as well as many state and local laws, mandate the cancelation of any and all.....

He Alone Remained With Me.

As Fr. Pishoy sat beside the man he said to him, "I hope all your problems have been solved. You seem happy."

"No, " he responded, "everything is the same, but I realize that Jesus is dwelling in me when I go through some tribulation and struggle. I will tell you of a dream, or perhaps a vision, that filled me with joy."

"I went to sleep very broken hearted, so broken hearted that I was at the point of committing suicide. I decided that I was going to throw myself from a very high mountain. On my way to the mountain, I encountered many of my friends. They all gave me comforting words of consolation, but I didn't feel that I could share my agony with any of

A Friend For Eternity...

This is the story of a famous leader named Joshua who had 80 disciples. All of them became good leaders.

One day, Joshua lifted up his heart and asked God what He had prepared for him in eternity. In a dream, Joshua heard a voice telling him, "You and Neres will be with me in Paradise and both of you will receive the same reward."

Joshua woke up upset, wondering how he could dedicate his whole life to the ministry of God and still get the same reward as a

Spiritual weapons to fight the devil

Matthew 4:1-11

In the Gospel of St. Matthew 4: 1-11, the evangelist tells a beautiful story of how our Lord Jesus can help us fight the devil and his temptations, especially during Great Lent. Our Lord had just been baptized and the revelation of the Trinity had occurred. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Here the wilderness can represent the world which is full of various evils and under the devil’s sway. Our Lord shows us 3 main ways to fight the devil. The first is that he fasted for forty days and forty nights. This helps strengthen our spirit when the body is broken and allows us to fight against temptations, and we

Do you want to be made well?

Fifth Sunday of the Great Lent:

There have been many great events throughout the history of the world, many with riveting results. But none can begin to approach the earth-shattering impact made by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether one is a devout Christian or a vehement atheist it would be impossible for any honest historian to deny this. No atomic bomb, world war, genocide, or trip to the moon could come close to the significance of St. John’s opening words in his